In other languages

Tol Brandir

The name Brandir refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Brandir (disambiguation).

"Frodo halted and looked out over the River, far below him, to Tol Brandir and the birds wheeling in the great gulf of air between him and the untrodden isle. The voice of Rauros was a mighty roaring mingled with a deep throbbing boom."

Tol Brandir (also called the Tindrock) was one of the three peaks at the southern end of Nen Hithoel. Unlike Amon Hen to the west or Amon Lhaw to the east, Tol Brandir was an island; the Anduin split into two arms and flowed on both sides of the peak before rejoining and plunging over the falls of Rauros. It was situated a little to the north of its companions and it was possible to paddle a boat across the river on it southern side above the waterfall.[1]

It was said that no foot of man or beast had ever been set upon Tol Brandir, which is understandable because its sides rose sheer out of the water. High above the initial cliffs there were steep slopes with trees, but then more grey cliffs shot up with a final spire of stone at the top. Being inaccessible to other creatures, many birds nested on the island.[2]

Etymology

The name of the island is made of two Sindarin words: Tol means an “isle” (rising with sheer sides from the sea or from a river).[3]Brandir is composed of the elements brand, meaning “lofty” or “high” and der, meaning “man”.[4] Whether it is named after its height or a certain person named Brandir, it is not known.

Portrayal in Adaptations

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001 movie, when Frodo and Sam cross to Amon Lhaw, they paddle across Nen Hithoel to the north of the island rather than to the south. This is necessary because, unlike in the book, the river does not reach beyond Tol Brandir, instead the falls of Rauros are split by the pinnacle.